Slaves of Thomas Wier

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Abbeville South Carolina
Surname/tag: Weir

The purpose of this FSP is to list all the slaves of Thomas Wier based on his estate papers and the 1850 slave schedules

The 1850 Slave schedule shows that Thomas Wier owned twenty six slaves, all of them black, ranging in age from two to sixty-five^[1] Thomas's Will, written in February of 1850, instructs that after his wife's death his entire estate be sold and divided among his children. He additionally gave permission for some slaves to be sold before that time, if they became "unmanageable". Three slaves were mentioned by name.

• Lucy, described as a negro child, had already been given to his daughter Elizabeth Blake. There is a child named Lucy mentioned in the distribution of Thomas's estate, but it was probably a different Lucy as that Lucy was bought by John Turner, not owned by the Blakes.

• Mary, described as a negro, Thomas asked that she be kept on his estate until the death of his wife. She is not mentioned in the apprasiel, but not the sale of Thomas's estate so she was probably retired after the death of Mary Wier.

• Lousie, described as a negro, she was also to be kept on his estate until the death of Mary Wier. She is not mentioned in the sale or distribution of Thomas's estate so she was probably sold or retired after the death of Mary Wier.

The distribution of Thomas's estate mentions 25 slaves some in family groups. Some of these can be matched with the 1850 slave schedules so their birth date is known.^[2]

• 'Harriet b 1810 was the mother of Willy, Margaret, George, and Swansy she was sold to A B Cochran for 500$. In the 1850 slave schedules she is listed next to a 46 year old man who may have been her husband. She is listed as being sold with a child so in addition to the children listed she would have had a child born 1850/1851. When A B Cochran died in 1853 she was sold again to J H Mundy^[3].

• Willy (or Willey) b 1840 was the son of Harriet and was bought by Andrew Wier for $320

• George b 1842 was the son of Harriet and was bought by Robert Ellis for 225$

• Margaret b b1844 was the daughter of Harriet and was bought by Banjamin Pulliman for $290

• Swansy b 1848 was the son of Harriet and was bought by Dr. Thomas Weir for $190. His name is a Wier family name so he was probably born while his mother was enslaved by the Wier family. He may be the "Swancy Way" living in Laurens County SC on the 1870 Census (Laurens was the home of Thomas Wier)^[4].

• Spencer b 1785 was described as an old man and was bought by Allen T Bell for $175

• Peat was sold to A B Cochran for 550$, but was not mentioned in A B's estate in 1853. He had likey died or been sold by then.

• Mary b 1820 was described as young and was the mother of Margaret, Phebe, Lucy and Fanny. She may have died before the estate was appraised as the appraisal was only form "young Mary's children"

• Phebe b 1843 was the daughter of Mary and was sold to John Fowler

• Lucy b 1845 was the daughter of Mary and was sold to John Turner

• Fanny b 1847 was the daughter of Mary and was sold to A B Cochran. When A B Cochran died in 1853 she was sold to Thomas Robertson

• Sarah "Sally" b 1822 was the mother of Emiline, Tempy, Bill, and an unnamed infant. She and her youngest child were sold to Robert Ellis

• Emiline b 1840 was the daughter of Sarah and was sold to Nathan Ingram

• Tempy b1845 was the child of Sarah and was sold to Robert Ellis

• Bill b1849 was the son of Sarah. He was not listed in the sale list, but most likely went to Robert Ellis with his mother and two siblings.

• unamed Infant b1850 was the child of Sarah and was sold with her to Robert Ellis

• Tamar was described as old and was sold to Dr Charles R Mosley

• Solomon was described as a boy and was grouped with Bob and Polly (possibly brothers?). He was sold to A M Blake. He could be the Solomon Ware living with wife Lucinda on the 1880 census^[5].

• Bob was described as a boy and was grouped with Solomon and Polly (possibly brothers?). He was sold to Andrew Wier

• Polly was described as a boy and was grouped with Bob and Solomon (possibly brothers?). He was sold to Andrew Wier

• Moses was described as a boy and was sold to William Romans

• Martha was described as a "Disane? woman" and was sold to William Roman

• Daniel was described as a boy and was sold to James Baily

• David was described as a boy and was sold to W N Blake

• Isham was described as a boy and was sold to Swansy Wier. He is likely the Isham Weir who was living in Abbeville in 1870 with a wife Rosemond and a large family.^[6]

• Harriet was described as a negro girl with a child and was sold to W M Lawson

• Unamed child of Harriet was sold with her to W M Lawson

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census (Slave Schedule), 1850 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MVZ2-QKX : 29 July 2017), Thomas Wier, Abbeville county, Abbeville, South Carolina, United States; citing line number 27, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 444,824.
2. ↑ "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-FZGD-5?cc=1911928&wc=MPP6-HZ3%3A190566901%2C190568402%2C190566903%2C192588201 : 21 May 2014), Abbeville > Probate Court, Probate records > 1782-1958 > Box 127, Packages 3744-3763 > image 244 of 287; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.
3. ↑ "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-FDCT-J?cc=1911928&wc=MPPV-GPD%3A190566901%2C190568402%2C190566903%2C192617201 : 21 May 2014), Abbeville > Probate Court, Probate records > 1782-1958 > Box 130, Packages 3764-3790 > image 205 of 336; county courthouses, South Carolina, and South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Columbia.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8R2-ZX6 : 13 June 2019), Swancy Way in entry for Hanna Boyce, 1870.
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M69P-T4L : 15 July 2017), Soloman Ware, Greenwood, Abbeville, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district ED 13, sheet 304A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,255,217.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8T3-798 : 14 June 2019), Isham Wier, 1870.